Chapter 3

The Gift

Once the warrior was put under a type of sedation, the Doctor took a laser and opened the chest area. As Picard and Riker watched, Doctor Crusher began the tedious work of placing the ribs of the Saiyan into place, knitting them together. It took several hours as the doctor realized the extent of the injuries. "I'm surprised that this warrior was not doubled over in agony with as badly as these ribs are crushed. The shattering seem to be older though, but still quite fragile. A good strike to them and he would have suffered more injury and possibly a punctured lung."

Picard came closer looking to the Saiyan now sound asleep, as he looked over the scarred form and shook his head. "He is a warrior and the leader of such a race. Vegeta must feel that in order to lead effectively, he must bear any and all pain in silence. If that is the case, then this Saiyan must know of his own weakness and have guarded it very closely."

Riker stepped forward as he looked to his Captain. "You mean that he purposely did not speak of his injuries as a matter of self-preservation?"

"You've heard what he has been telling us, Number One. He rules over a vast area, and dare I say even guards this galaxy including us to a point. If he truly is a Universal Warrior then this Saiyan has to protect much more than we can perhaps fathom. Any weakness could invite whatever adversaries are out there to try to overthrow him." Picard watched as the doctor continued mending the ribs.

"It almost seems like we're in a bottle or in a bubble where the Saiyans are the guardians of this galaxy." The Commander said as he tried to make sense of the situation that they found themselves in.

"I would say more like gatekeepers." Beverly stated. "They do not keep all the races here hostage or as prisoners. We can come and go as we please if we wanted to. Should a threat that we can't handle come through, they would be spurred into action would be my guess. It took several hours, and the mending is now complete, though we should try to have him limit his activities for the next few days." Doctor Crusher concluded, sealing the opening, leaving no trace of the incision.

She took off the device used to put the Saiyan under and then sat back, putting her work into the computer. "That was a more serious procedure than even I thought it would be. Now all we have to do is wait for him to wake up."

The Captain and Commander sat down and waited for the first signs of stirring. They did not have long to wait as the warrior's fingers first twitched. There seemed a pause in activity as the warrior would finally snap his eyes open. He looked over seeing only the three there still. "How did it go, Doctor?" Vegeta asked in a quieter voice than was normal.

"It was a success. The ribs are now fused where they should be. I'm glad you allowed me to do this procedure though. If you would have taken another serious hit to your ribs, it would have been your lungs or quite possibly your heart punctured. I don't need to tell you what those consequences would be." She said gently, helping the warrior sit up until he was steady. "You have been out for about twelve hours. However, you need to take it easy for a few days, though I would like to see you rest for a week if at all possible."

Vegeta nodded once more. "I'll do two weeks since that's the timeframe needed and just to make sure that I'm still sturdy as I was before."

With that stated, the warrior pulled on the shirt and gloves and then slid off the table, nearly collapsing at first, but when the Commander and Captain moved to help him, he waved them off. Taking a deep breath, he would lift himself up once more, leaning against the table for a moment before letting it out and then finally stood on his own. Taking a few unsteady steps, he began walking again without issue. "I know its your instinct to help when someone falters but assistance in this moment is not required."

When they returned to the room, the Saiyan gently stretched, testing the limits for now as he took care not to overstretch. With the moment alone, he enjoyed his more stately surroundings as he sat back down on the bed and from his small pack pulled out a journal and with a pen began to write down his experiences. He became lost in his thoughts as his hand scribed them as quickly as they came to mind.

Time seemed to fly over the next few days when Vegeta again reported to the sickbay and it was at that time the other two came back as well. He had enjoyed the respite from people for the time, relaxing more as his alert gaze seemed a bit softer for now as he reported as had been set up. When in there, the doctor ran the tricorder over him again and was simply amazed. "There seems to be no trace of the injuries at all now. I know I did the fusing, but now, it seems that the Saiyan physiology took over and mended it the rest of the way how it should be."

The Commander smiled lightly. "That is good news."

Vegeta heard the signal from his scouter and put it on, the room he noted, going quiet as he tapped the button. "This is Vegeta." The warrior again stated as he listened to the report on the end, then again, the warrior gave a deep and relaxed, lopsided smile. "I knew I could count on you and the crew. You're sure its ready?"

"Yes Sire, the task has been completed as far as we can take it without your supervision. We are ready for inspection upon your return." The other voice indicated over the scouter.

"Very well, I will leave here within the next six hours. Make sure that all unnecessary equipment is removed. Have the Great Hall prepared for a feast. We'll do a mix of Earthen and Native foods. We will be having guests for the big event." Vegeta stated as the three others would start for the door, but then turned around.

Picard, Riker, and Crusher looked at the Saiyan, seeing for the first time, a genuine smile upon the warrior's facial expressions. The black eyes danced with news that delighted him to no end. "What's going on? You seem elated." Crusher asked, her brow knitting in curiosity as she too began to smile.

"You and your crew have six hours to meet at loading dock three. I don't want to spoil the surprise and it is going to be something you will enjoy." Vegeta stated, walking from the room not allowing time for questions.

Picard glanced at them and then nodded. "La Forge, Data, Troi, Worf, get another three people and lets go to docking bay three in six hours. We have just been invited to a grand feast. Pack some dress attire."

After getting the approval from the Chain of Command, they met Vegeta in the docking bay where the warrior put on the scouter and then climbed inside the pod. "Most will not shake hands on Planet Vegeta. It will be the right hand in fist to the heart with a light bow. Do not lower the eyes, that is the customary greeting for our people. After that if they want to shake hands they will. Other than that, you should be fine. Though with ten times Earth's gravity, you may want to put in these inserts to your shoes. It will help with any sort of discomfort that may be felt." Vegeta stated as he got in and the pod door seemed to close.

As soon as the others were in their pods, they had the clearance to depart and were soon underway. After some time of flying, Vegeta tapped on his scouter again. "Welcome to the Typhon Expanse, known as the Saiyan Empire. Enjoy the view, some of these areas have not been touched since the beginning of time."

The crew began to look out of the glass seeing the wondrous pulsar then the exploded nebula, the high spires of the clouds reaching millions of kilometers in height. They passed through a magnetic storm with relative ease, and then finally came to the binary system that served as home for Planet Vegeta, its moon circling the planet as the two suns made a relatively safe place for the planet to orbit.

"Prepare to land ten pods gently." Vegeta stated as he began the landing sequences for his own as the landing crews began to take over the pods as Vegeta's came to a high impact stop. The others landed according to instruction and as each got out, they looked at a land that was new to them. The crimson skies were flecked with whitish yellow clouds and the two suns clearly visible though they were far enough that the heat was about like Earth's own.

The buildings were a bit rounded in shape, futuristic on the outside but when they stepped within the castle itself, they noted the more medieval feel to the strong, large stones that were placed with no mortar between the cracks. It was tall and grand. As they entered a hall Vegeta stopped them and gestured to the rooms on either side. "Choose a room for your stay. I will meet you in the Great Hall when you've settled in for the time. I have a few things I need to see to before dinner. If you wish to look around you may."

The crew glanced to each other and then with the doors cycling open. They could tell that the rough interior look was just that, a look. Picard watched as the Warrior King gracefully took his leave and soon a new armor was given to the King which he changed to and a dual colored cape was fastened to the shoulders, black while his back was turned to the crew and when he turned around once more, it was red. The King had a couple others on his heels as they departed the vast hallway.

Data examined the stonework and turned about. "Captain, architecture like this has not been seen for thousands of years. The most prominent would be the Ancient Egyptians of Earth By not having the mortar, the skill to make each stone flush and fit would take considerable energy if we were to build it. The floors though seem glossed as though the top surface was made into a glass type surface and polished. The skill and technology it would take to duplicate something like this is quite remarkable."

Geordi La Forge nodded as well looking at the doors. "They even carved in the area for the doors to slide in and out of without issue as well. This place may look old and rustic, but the scale of this building, the precision, and technology it takes just to create this hall have not yet been mastered even in our time."

"Though this is just a hallway, it is still very impressive with what they have so far demonstrated. It seems their technology is very well shielded and protected, allowing other races to come without the risk of showing too much technology. It keeps in rather simplistic design while we are advanced enough to know that a great deal is hidden within its very build." Data confirmed as he looked back at the Captain.

"It seems then that we may truly have a surprise for us waiting here to be revealed at the King's time. In the meantime, let us enjoy the company of our host and his people. We are standing on a planet that has not been seen by anyone outside of the Typhon Expanse." Picard stated as he looked to the doors. "Lets get changed and settled in as Vegeta has stated. We are on his world and this is indeed a great honor that as we seen was denied even the Cardassians."

With that the crew parted into different rooms and after half an hour the Saiyans came to knock on the doors. Each one of the crew stepping out to a taller Saiyan, a more cheerful expression on his face. "Hi there, I'm Kakarrot. Its nice to meet everyone." He stated, putting his right fist to his heart and then gave a light bow, not lowering his gaze. He smiled proudly as the crew reciprocated the greeting.

Kakarrot turned on heel and led the crew to the Great Hall where many tables were set up end to end and food filled the entire eighty foot length. He then pulled the seats out for the crew and once they were seated, the guards and servants filed in quietly taking their places, each in uniform but no one yet dished up. When two guards came in everyone stood. Then finally the King entered the room and a collective of voices yelled at once. "Hail, King Vegeta!"

The warrior that had been on their star base was now being greeted as he was, royalty. With an exchange of greeting, the King spread his hands to either side of the table. "My friends, we are accompanied by some of the crew that operated the NCC 1701 - D USS Enterprise. I wish to give them a warm welcome to our home, the home of the mighty Saiyan Race. Let's eat."

As they sat down to eat, the crew could not believe the amount of food that was vanishing at a fast rate. "It seems impossible for them to eat so much." Data stated as he observed the feast.

"Our bodies convert much of the food we eat directly into energy that we can use. They have worked hard on the gift and deserve to eat well after the long couple of months or so." Vegeta stated to them as he too ate a good plateful and went back for more before settling in once more and it was then that he looked up to those that had joined them at the table.

The dining was mixed with laughter, jokes, stories, and tales of battles fought and won. As they dined the crew started to feel more comfortable in the settings. It was cordial but relaxed, each showing respect to the King and the crew. When the meal had finished each one, even the King helped clean up the Great Hall in such efficiency that things were done within a few minutes rather than a few hours. Vegeta nodded lightly and finally summoned the crew around him. "Its finally time. Please follow." He stated and started to walk toward the doors of the Castle.

Once they were outside, Vegeta lifted off as Kakarrot and a few others allowed each of the officers onto their backs as they flew quickly. Once they crested a distant mountain, they set down and when they crested another small hill into a valley, they seen it. Gently resting in an almost cradle like contraption was the Enterprise itself, as if it had just come from the shipyards.

Riker stood in shock and amazement. "It was beyond repairs, destroyed in the battle between us and the Klingon sisters. How?…" He was struck for words, where none found him.

The Captain stood in amazement as well. "This is…absolutely…remarkable." Was all he could say.

Vegeta nodded and began to head down to the craft. "I apologize for keeping you in the dark about this, but as I had said, it was a gift back for the respect that you and Starfleet have given us. Lets go see it."

When they got there, the chief engineer on the project would then approach the King. "We have the warp core again repaired and the casing strengthened so no further breaches should occur until the others catch up. The computer has been uploaded with all the information that had previously been stored and cleaned up to the best standards."

"Excellent work, what of the shields and weapons array?" Vegeta asked as Picard came up to him as with Geordi, Data, and Will. They quietly listened to the conversation between the King and his crew that were building the ship again.

"The shields have been amplified, the phaser array and such have been tested and are good to go. The photon torpedo tubes are still currently empty, but we feel that the crew could get those when they return home." Suugash stated as he pointed them out on the blueprints.

Vegeta nodded and then stood in the hallway. "Computer, please indicate what the warp capabilities are for this ship now?"

The computer came to life in the familiar tone that the crew was used to. "It has a potential of warp nine point eight." The female voice though sounded much clearer, the volume perfected for comfort and ease of use by the crew.

Turning to the Engineer again, he put a hand upon the wall. "What of the strength of the hull? Has it been improved?" Vegeta asked.

"Yes Sire, with the same material we use for our pods. If they can crash down at such rapid pace and not get damaged we felt that was the best material. Also that has been reinforced as well to make sure that in case of impact, its going to take much more to buckle. We tested the saucer section again when it was rebuilt to see if the hull could withstand the same kind of impact again and it can without more than a scratch." Suugash stated as he patted the wall.

Vegeta nodded and proceeded into the living quarters. "Everything has been restored in each of the rooms?"

"As much as we could my King. There were some things that were not able to be salvaged. Those items have been respectfully placed in a corner of each room for the occupants to decide whether or not they want to keep them." There seemed a bit of defeat in the tone when he mentioned the inability to restore all personal items.

"It was enough that as much that did survive was able to be brought back. There are bound to be some losses in a project like this after it was devastated in its crash landing on Veridian Three. You did well with what could be done." Vegeta gave a light grin and then looked to the turbo lift and the black panels in their original look and feel as the Warrior King scrutinized every little thing.

"How are the communications now?" Vegeta asked with little doubt.

"Operational and the ship can now pick up the fainter signals better." The Chief Engineer stated.

As the list was continued, the Commander and Captain both looked at each other. "Captain, this would have taken years to repair in our ports. Are these people so advanced that they can do this in a mere few weeks?"

"Apparently so, Number One. We are looking at a feat that would have been considered impossible with the Federation." Picard stated as he too listened to the rundown of the checklist.

Vegeta turned back to listen to the two speak for a moment before nodding to himself. "Lets go to the bridge. I'm sure they would be eager to see that."

"Sire, that is the only place that is not yet finished. We wanted to take the greatest consideration in that area. We're about to start bringing things in for that." Suugash stated a bit hesitantly.

"Its alright, lets see it anyway, Suugash." Vegeta stated to the person that had taken charge on the ship's rebuild.

"Yes my King." He stated and then led the way to the turbo lift and when they got up to the bridge the carpeting was being laid down carefully. The panels had been redone and the room was lit up. None of the chairs were in place yet but then they watched one Saiyan point a finger and with precision would cut the carpet without even marking the floor beneath it.

"What are the plans?" Vegeta asked as the Captain and his First Officer listened to this part.

"Carpet is being laid in first. Then the baseboard trim will go in. The Security and Helm panels have already been put in place. Once those are in, we'll work on the outside seats and panels then work our way in. The Captain's chair will be last to be put in." Suugash stated.

"When can it be expected to be finished?" The King asked of him.

"Estimated time, within the hour, Sire. Once the Captain's chair is in, this ship will be ready to fly again in all its splendor. Also it should have no issues with the anomalies within the Typhon Expanse to again head out to Federation Space." Suugash commented looking around at the bridge.

"Can we watch the process?" Riker asked the Engineer

"We don't mind if you watched. It is to be given to you and your Captain again after its done." Suugash answered in reply to the Commander's question.

Vegeta stood off to one side and then motioned for the Captain and Commander to also stand to one side while the others brought in the aforementioned update. They came in a single file, each Saiyan quickly securing each area without issue. Then came in the Captain's chair and was carefully placed in the center where it had been. When it had been finished the Saiyans broke out in celebration of a hard work finally complete, laughing and clashing forearms before each would turn to the King and with a right fist to heart and gave a light bow before departing.

"How do you plan to lift it to space?" Picard asked the Saiyan King when they were finally alone with him and the crew.

"It is only a matter of getting the Saiyans together and lifting it. We have enough people to accomplish the task." Vegeta stated with certainty.

"We appreciate your company on a first mission with us after the stop at the star base. It is only fitting for you to join us after all the work you and your people have done to rebuild this ship. Just a question though. How did you get our schematics and blueprints for the ship?" Picard asked the Saiyan King.

"The ship's computer was already active so when the power was restored, we were able to get it from the computer itself. Some are worth communicating with, and this ship is one of them. She should not be treated like that of most other ships." Vegeta stated pushing from the wall as the warrior would move to a control panel. "Computer, please report on any deficiencies still needing to be done except for the photon torpedoes."

"There are no known deficiencies." It responded accordingly.

"If I were you Captain, I would not allow her to be scrapped. There are a lot of memories here, and they have not been lost. She remembers each and every one of them. Treat her with respect and dignity and she will do anything you ask of her and more." The Warrior King replied in thoughtful consideration.